Religious expression

Florida House Bill 303 and Senate Bill 436 are absolutely horrific.

In the guise of expanding freedom of religious expression for students in schools, they would open the door for intimidating behavior by one group of children toward other very vulnerable children in a place where those children have and are given, by the bills, no means to avoid such intimidation.

The bills would allow students to set up religious events before, after or during school hours and to advertise those events in the same manner as any other school events, such as word of mouth.

These bills would thus set up situations whereby passionately religious students could approach, cajole, intimidate, possibly threaten and bully more vulnerable children to hear about their religious beliefs and to attend these events.

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These bills provide no restrictions as to how, when or where these ultra-religious students may approach other children, they provide no protections for children who may not want to be accosted, and no protections for the parents of these children who may not want them so accosted.

As a Juvenile Assistant State Attorney for more than 30 years — now retired — I am well aware of what damage children with strong beliefs are capable of doing to other children who are much more vulnerable.

Anyone who does not realize that does not know history and certainly does not know children.

These bills are an outrage and if not significantly modified should never become law.

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Child advocates across Florida applaud the 2019 Florida Legislature for passing significant laws that aid the fight to prevent human trafficking. Sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, the law would shine a bright light on the places where these heinous crimes are committed — many of which, sadly, could have been prevented.
This anti-human trafficking bill, HB 851, requires educating the employees of hotels, massage parlors and adult theaters on how to spot the signs of trafficking and common practices. It calls for those employees who see evidence of these crimes to report suspicious activity to the confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888).
The law also reclassifies strip clubs that employ underage victims who commonly come from the foster care system and overseas, only to become trapped by trafficking rings — as adult theaters. Additionally, the law requires that law enforcement personnel be educated on trafficking to improve enforcement.
Further, it would create a Prostitution Public Database of those convicted of soliciting prostitution in Florida and a fund to support the enforcement through steep fines, and to help the victims.
The bill comes none too soon for would-be victims. The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 367 cases of human trafficking in Florida in 2018, the third highest in the nation. Sadly, that’s a fraction of the 2,133 calls to the Florida Abuse Hotline reporting trafficking in 2017-2018, a figure that’s up 147 percent over the past four years, according to the Florida Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.
This law, which was the last substantive bill passed by the Legislature in its recent session, is an laudable, aggressive step in attacking some of Florida’s most vile crimes.
Howard M. Talenfeld,
president,
Florida’s Children First,
Fort Lauderdale